Articles

Robert Mapplethorpe, Ken Moody and Robert Sherman, 1984 © 2025 Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation via Artsy

Rowan Whit

Robert Mapplethorpe: Elegance and Provocation i...

Robert Mapplethorpe’s photography merged elegance, intimacy, and controversy, creating a legacy that continues to influence artists today.

Feature image: William Wegman, Man Ray, Do You Want To..., 1972 via The MET

Julian Ashford

William Wegman’s Weimaraners and the Art of Pla...

William Wegman transformed the elegant Weimaraner into a conceptual art icon, blending humor, photography, and performance with remarkable style.

Raphael, The School of Athens, 1509–1511 via Wikipedia/Public Domain

Lena Whitmore

Why Painting and Sculpture Were Different Befor...

Before the camera, painting and sculpture preserved our memory of people, places, and power. Art did not just imitate life. It was proof that life happened.

Cecil Beaton, Mick Jagger, 1970 via Bonhams

Isabelle Fenwick

Cecil Beaton: A Life in Fashion, Theater, and P...

Cecil Beaton transformed fashion, photography, and film. His life and work embodied elegance, wit, and the golden glamour of 20th-century style.

Photo of The Beatles by Harry Benson © Harry Benson / Courtesy of the Harry Benson Archive

Gabriel Delgado

Harry Benson: Royalty, Rebels, and Rockstars

A rare look at Harry Benson’s iconic black-and-white portraits, where fame, intimacy, and history collide in timeless photographic form.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, French painter Henri Matisse and his model, Lydia Delectorskaya. Cimiez district. Nice. France. February 1944. © Henri Cartier-Bresson | Magnum Photos

Rebecca Levenson

Photographers Who Captured the Essence of Creat...

These photographers captured the essence of iconic 20th-century artists, revealing layers of creative genius through powerful, timeless portraits.

He Chengyao, Kiss, 2003 via HKW Archives

Jesslyn Low

He Chengyao

He Chengyao, a Chinese performance artist, explores mental illness, mother-daughter bonds, and personal history through provocative, deeply personal art.

From Masahisa Fukase, “Sasuke”, (Atelier EXB, 2021) © Archives Masahisa Fukase

Taylor Hunt

Masahisa Fukase

Masahisa Fukase's photography is intense and profound, but his life reveals the story of an artist whose obsession with his art would ultimately be destructive.

Irina Werning

Jesslyn Low

Four Contemporary Photographers to Know

Discover four photographers: Nick Brandt, Thandiwe Muriu, Patty Carroll, and Irina Werning, each with unique styles and impactful messages.

H

Lily Frye

Did Helmut Newton Take Edgy Photography Too Far?

German photographer Helmut Newton, dubbed the “King of Kink,” was a pioneer in pushing the boundaries of modesty and embraced unconventionality in his work.